Tonight marks the beginning of a new era for the Washington Capitals as legendary center Dale Hunter makes his return to Washington behind the bench as the franchise’s 15th head coach.

Hunter made his mark in the NHL as a talented offensive player with the Quebec Nordiques and with the Capitals after being involved in a 1987 trade to D.C. that began a 12-year career in Washington. He evolved into one of the most feared players in the league, racking up 3,565 career penalty minutes, which is second most in NHL history.

For the past 11 seasons, he has owned and coached the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League and in the process, turned a struggling franchise into one of the most respected teams in the OHL for the past decade. Among his notable achievements in London, Hunter became the fastest coach in OHL history to reach 300 and 400 wins. Read the rest of this entry »